


Things To Do

by tablelamp



Category: Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators (TV)
Genre: Awkward declarations of love, Developing Relationship, Especially Love, F/M, No Matter What Frank Says, Snark, but also love, to do lists
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-01 19:37:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20263441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tablelamp/pseuds/tablelamp
Summary: Frank came into the office, brandishing a piece of paper.  "What's this then?"Luella looked at what he was holding.  "It's the to-do list I wrote for you."





	Things To Do

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StopTalkingAtMe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StopTalkingAtMe/gifts).

Frank came into the office, brandishing a piece of paper. "What's this then?"

Luella looked at what he was holding. "It's the to-do list I wrote for you."

"Did you," Frank said. "And why exactly did you think I needed a to-do list?"

Luella shrugged. "I noticed there were some things that you might not have thought of addressing. So I made a list, and now you can address them."

Frank held the paper in a position where he could read from it. "Item one: send former clients thank-you notes?"

"It's polite," Luella said.

"You don't think it's a bit odd? Thank you for trusting us with your investigation? Thank you for providing us with a murder to solve?"

"I think we do want to thank them for trusting us with their investigation," Luella said, "though the murder suggestion seems a bit coldhearted to me."

"My point is, I'm not sure it sets the right tone," Frank said. "You wouldn't send out notes saying, 'Thanks very much for including us in your darkest moments, and be sure to refer us to your friends,' now would you?"

"That's not a bad idea," Luella said, partly because she considered word of mouth referrals effective (they had been for her salon) and partly because she liked to upend Frank's expectations.

"People come to us anyway," Frank said. "We don't need notes."

Luella shrugged. "Take it off the list then."

Frank picked up a pencil and struck the item from the list. "Right. Item two: Have the office painted." He lowered the paper, looking around the room. "The office is painted!"

"As of 1973," Luella said. "You don't think it could do with a bit of beautification?"

"It's not meant to be beautiful," Frank said. "It's an office."

"I don't see the harm in making a good impression," Luella said. "I'm not suggesting that we paint it bright sunshiny colours. Although..." 

Frank sighed. "I'll tell Sebastian to call the painters. Then in two weeks, when he hasn't done it, I'll call them myself."

Luella smiled at Frank's realistic grasp of Sebastian's feelings about clerical work. "Thank you."

Frank made a short note on the paper next to item two. "Item three: Have the windows washed. I suppose we can consider that in line with the painting. If we've gone to the trouble of having newly painted walls, clients ought to have enough light to see them."

"Of course," Luella said. Really, all the other items were to get Frank to item four. She wondered how he would take it. She wondered how she would take how he would take it.

"Item four..." Frank stopped, looked at the paper, then at Luella. "Are you serious?"

Luella folded her hands. "You don't think it's accurate?"

"Well, I wouldn't--" Frank looked unsure of himself. "How long have you thought--you know--?" He tapped the paper with his free hand. "--this?"

"A while now," Luella said, trying to remain outwardly calm, though her heart was hammering away. 

"And you didn't tell me? You just--put it in a to-do list?"

"Oh," Luella said, "you think me telling you how you felt would've worked, do you?"

"No," Frank admitted. He cleared his throat. "Well. What do we do now?"

"You could tell me if I've guessed right," Luella said.

"Oh," Frank said. "You have. Isn't it obvious?"

"Would I put it on a to-do list if it were obvious?" Luella said.

Frank glanced at the to-do list again. "I don't know why you'd put it on a to-do list, to be honest."

Luella shrugged. "I couldn't think of a better way to ask. Sebastian wanted to read you sonnets, but I didn't think that was appropriate, considering."

Frank paled. "Please tell me you haven't told Sebastian about this."

"I haven't," Luella said, immediately regretting her attempt at humour. "That was meant to be a joke. Sorry."

"No, I'm sorry," Frank said. "I wasn't expecting this." He looked at the list, then at Luella, and for the first time all morning, he smiled. "Well."

Luella smiled back, relieved. "Yeah."

Frank gestured to the door. "Do you want to grab a coffee? I'll even spring for one of those monstrosities with sixty-three pounds of whipped cream."

Luella nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Frank shuffled his feet a little but didn't move toward the door. "You haven't said, by the way. If you feel. You know."

"Haven't I?"

"No."

"Oh." Luella nodded, feeling awkward. "I probably ought to do something about that."

Frank smiled again. He never smiled this much. It was nice. "Should we add it to the list?"

Luella laughed aloud. "If you think that's best."

"Oh, I do," he said, retrieving his pencil and bending over the desk for a few moments to add an item to the to-do list. He then handed the list to Luella. "Here you are."

Luella decided to have a little fun. "Item two: Have the office painted. Well, I'm glad you brought it up, and I certainly agree. The look of the office is very--"

"Not that one," Frank said, though his amused expression told her he knew what she was doing. "Further down."

"Item four," Luella read. "Admit to Luella that you love her. You haven't officially done that, you know."

Frank pulled a ridiculously shocked face. "Haven't I?"

Luella folded her arms. "No."

"Oh." Frank looked at the floor, then at her, and the warmth in his eyes was at once familiar and very, very new. "I love you, Lu."

"I love you too," Luella said.

"Good," Frank said. "That takes care of items four and five, don't you think?"

"I think so," Luella said with a nod. It felt strange to say it, especially since the last time she'd said it to a man, things had gone decidedly pear-shaped. But things were different now, and Frank was definitely not Clive. "Still want coffee?"

"Yeah," Frank said. "Only wait a minute." He leaned forward to give her a quick, awkward kiss on the cheek, looking a bit shy once he'd done it. "All right. Now we can go."

Luella took Frank's arm as they left the office. "I don't know how we're going to tell Sebastian."

Frank's groan could probably be heard in several neighbouring counties.


End file.
